Darnell Wilson (born September 22, 1974) is an American

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

. He challenged once for the WBA World Cruiserweight title in 2008. He is perhaps best remembered for his brutal left-hook knockouts of Emmanuel Nwodo and David Rodriguez.

Background

Born in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, and raised in

Gaithersburg, Maryland Gaithersburg ( ), officially the City of Gaithersburg, is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, Gaithersburg had a population of 69,657, making it the ninth-largest location in the state. Gai ...

, He graduated from

Quince Orchard High School Quince Orchard High School (QOHS), also known as Q.O. High School, is a secondary school located on Quince Orchard Road in the Quince Orchard neighborhood of Gaithersburg in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Academics According to ma ...

Amateur career

Many people confused Darnell Wilson with the outstanding amateur

Darnell Wilson Darnell Wilson (born September 22, 1974) is an American boxer. He challenged once for the WBA World Cruiserweight title in 2008. He is perhaps best remembered for his brutal left-hook knockouts of Emmanuel Nwodo and David Rodriguez. Backgr ...

who won the United States Amateur Light Middleweight Championship three years in a row (1997–99).

Professional career

Known as "Ding-A-Ling Man", Wilson turned pro in 2000 as a

light heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

. He showed a world-class punch and a good chin but couldn't outbox his opponents. His best results were draws with George Jones (record 19–2) and James Lubwama (record 18–1). In 2005 he moved up to cruiserweight. There he was outpointed by prospects/fringe contenders

Vadim Tokarev Vadim Tokarev (born 29 February 1972) is a US-based Russian professional boxer who competed from 2000 to 2008. Professional career Born in Yekaterinburg, Tokarev began his professional career in 2000 and won his first 15 fights in a row. He has a ...

(17–0),

Felix Cora Jr. Felix Cora Jr. (born 18 February 1980) is an American professional boxer. He is a former holder of the USBA and NABF cruiserweight titles and was a contestant in the fourth season of the reality TV show '' The Contender''. Professional career ...

(17–0–2), and veteran

Andre Purlette Andre Purlette (born 4 November 1973) is a Guyanese former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2009. Known as "Tombstone", Purlette turned pro in 1992 and won his first 32 bouts, including a victory over Jimmy Thunder. He later lost to v ...

(record 38–2) and also lost to

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

Owen Beck Owen LeFranc Beck (born 31 May 1976), nicknamed "What the Heck Beck," is a Jamaican former professional boxer who challenged for the World Boxing Association, WBA heavyweight title in 2006. He had an amateur record of 73 wins and 5 losses. C ...

. In late 2006 he at least managed to KO another former light heavyweight in southpaw

Daniel Judah Daniel Harvey Judah (born August 8, 1977) is an American former professional boxer. He is the brother of Zab Judah and Josiah Judah, who are also former professional boxers. Boxing career Judah had his pro debut on June 18, 1999. Although Jud ...

(21–1–3), but at age 32 seemed to be going nowhere. He says of this time: "I was diagnosed. My

adrenal glands The adrenal glands (also known as suprarenal glands) are endocrine glands that produce a variety of hormones including adrenaline and the steroids aldosterone and cortisol. They are found above the kidneys. Each gland has an outer cortex which ...

were being worn down. I would go flat after a few rounds of sparring because of a bad effect from energy drinks." His career direction changed dramatically in 2007 when he scored a sensational KO2 over Canadian contender

Dale Brown Dale Brown (born 2 November 1956) is an American writer and aviator known for aviation techno-thriller novels. At least thirteen of his novels have been ''New York Times'' Best Sellers. Early life Brown was born in Buffalo, New York, and w ...

in Edmonton. He quickly added another upset KO3 over Kelvin Davis who had put him on the deck before in the second round. At this point, Wilson was rated in the Top 10 by ''The Ring'' Magazine. Wilson knocked out hard-punching Emmanuel Nwodo on June 29, 2007.

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

announcer

Teddy Atlas Theodore A. "Teddy" Atlas Jr. (born July 29, 1956) is an American boxing trainer and fight commentator. Early life The son of a doctor, Atlas grew up in a wealthy area of Staten Island, New York City, New York. His mother, Mary Riley Atlas, w ...

proclaimed it the most devastating knockout ever on ESPN's ''

Friday Night Fights The cable television network ESPN has occasionally broadcast boxing events over the majority of its history, as part of several arrangements, including contracts with specific promotions and consortiums such as Golden Boy Promotions, Premier Box ...

'' series. It was later named the

ESPN.com ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc. History Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...

Knockout of the Year. He finally got a shot at the WBA cruiserweight title on May 3, 2008, but lost a unanimous decision to

Firat Arslan Firat Arslan (born 28 September 1970) is a German professional boxer of Turkish descent who held the WBA cruiserweight title from 2007 to 2008. He also challenged twice for the WBO cruiserweight title in 2012 and 2014 and once for the IBF cr ...

. Wilson lost his first fight of Season 4 of '' The Contender'' to

Ehinomen Ehikhamenor Ehinomen Ehikhamenor (born 1 April 1980) is a Nigerian professional boxer who fights in the cruiserweight division. Professional career Ehikhamenor turned professional in February 2004 at the Mohegan Sun Casino, Connecticut, U.S.. In his debut ...

Professional boxing record

, - , style="text-align:center;" colspan="8", 25 Wins (21 knockouts, 4 decisions), 21 Losses (9 knockouts, 12 decision), 3 Draws''

, - style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Result , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Record , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Opponent , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Type , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Round , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Date , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Location , style="border-style:none none solid solid; ", Notes , -align=center , Loss , 25–21–3 , align=left,

Adrian Granat Carl Wilhelm Adrian Granat (born 26 April 1991), best known as Adrian Granat, is a Swedish former professional boxer who fought at heavyweight. Boxing career Having started boxing at age 13, he won gold in the Swedish Championship at 17 in 2009 ...

, KO, , 2 , October 24, 2015 , align=left, Schulsporthalle, Hamburg, Germany , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 25–20–3 , align=left, Sergey Kuzmin , TKO, , 4 , August 27, 2015 , align=left, The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 25–19–3 , align=left, Mike Perez , TKO, , 2 , February 5, 2015 , align=left, The Hangar,

Costa Mesa, California Costa Mesa (; Spanish for "Table Coast") is a city in Orange County, California. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wa ...

, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 25–18–3 , align=left,

Vyacheslav Glazkov Vyacheslav Valeriyovych Glazkov ( uk, В'ячеслав Валерійович Глазков, born 15 October 1984) is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 2009 to 2016. He challenged once for the vacant IBF heavyweight titl ...

, TKO, , 7 , November 8, 2014 , align=left,

Boardwalk Hall Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, formerly known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is a multi-purpose arena in Atlantic City in Atlantic County, New Jersey. It was Atlantic City's primary convention center until the opening of the Atlant ...

, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , -align=center , Win , 25–17–3 , align=left, David Rodriguez , KO , 6 , December 14, 2013 , align=left, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. , , -align=center , Loss , 24–17–3 , align=left, , KO , 5 , April 20, 2013 , align=left,

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the ...

, U.S. , , -align=center , Loss , 24–16–3 , align=left,

Edmund Gerber Edmund Gerber (born 2 August 1988) is a German former professional boxer who competed from 2007 to 2018. At regional level, he challenged once for the European heavyweight title in 2013. As an amateur, he won a bronze medal at the 2006 EU Juni ...

, UD , 8 , November 3, 2012 , align=left, Halle, Germany , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 24–15–3 , align=left,

Juan Carlos Gómez Juan Carlos Gómez (born 26 July 1973) is a Cuban former professional boxer who competed from 1995 to 2014. He held the WBC cruiserweight title from 1998 to 2002, and challenged once for the WBC heavyweight title in 2009. Amateur career *Ama ...

, TKO , 4 , April 21, 2012 , align=left,

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...

, Germany , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 24–14–3 , align=left,

Denis Boytsov Denis Nikolayevich Boytsov (russian: Денис Николаевич Бойцов; born 14 February 1986) is a Russian former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2015. Amateur career Boytsov has had a decorated amateur career, including ...

, KO , 4 , January 28, 2012 , align=left, Hamburg, Germany , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 24–13–3 , align=left, Ondrej Pala , UD , 12 , November 26, 2011 , align=left,

Trabzon Trabzon (; Ancient Greek: Tραπεζοῦς (''Trapezous''), Ophitic Pontic Greek: Τραπεζούντα (''Trapezounta''); Georgian: ტრაპიზონი (''Trapizoni'')), historically known as Trebizond in English, is a city on the B ...

, Turkey , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 24–12–3 , align=left,

Juan Carlos Gomez ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

, MD , 10 , September 24, 2011 , align=left,

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, Germany , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 23–12–3 , align=left, Jason Gavern , TKO , 7 , April 2, 2011 , align=left,

Jupiter, Florida Jupiter is the northernmost town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the town had a population of 61,047 as of April 1, 2020. It is 84 miles north of Miami, and the northernmost community in the Miami met ...

, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 23–11–3 , align=left,

Travis Walker Travis Walker (born June 22, 1979) is an American professional boxer. As an amateur, he won the 2003 National Golden Gloves. Amateur career He became the 2003 National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Champion beating among others a 17-year-o ...

, UD , 8 , February 26, 2011 , align=left,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 23–10–3 , align=left,

Alex Leapai Elise Leapai (born 16 October 1979) is a Samoan Australian former professional boxer. His career highlight was a fight against Wladimir Klitschko in 2014, for the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, ''The Ring'' magazine and lineal heavyweight tit ...

, UD , 8 , December 4, 2010 , align=left,

Broadbeach Broadbeach is a suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Broadbeach had a population of 5,514 people. Geography Development in the area today mostly incorporates low rise structures, consisting of single bedroom hous ...

, Australia , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 23–9–3 , align=left,

Grigory Drozd Grigory Anatolyevich Drozd (russian: Григорий Анатольевич Дрозд; born 26 August 26, 1979) is a Russian former professional boxer. He is the former WBC cruiserweight champion, having lost the title when he was unable to ...

, RTD , 10 , July 2, 2009 , align=left,

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, Russia , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 23–8–3 , align=left,

, UD , 5 , January 7, 2009 , align=left, Singapore , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 23–7–3 , align=left,

, UD , 12 , May 3, 2008 , align=left,

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

, Germany , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 23–6–3 , align=left, Robert Marsh , TKO , 6 , March 15, 2008 , align=left,

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 22–6–3 , align=left,

BJ Flores Benjamin "BJ" Flores (born January 29, 1979) is an American former professional boxer and a current boxing trainer. He challenged once for the WBC cruiserweight world title in 2016, and twice for interim world titles at cruiserweight and heavyw ...

, UD , 12 , February 8, 2008 , align=left, Dover, Delaware, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 22–5–3 , align=left, Emmanuel Nwodo , KO , 11 , June 29, 2007 , align=left, New York City, New York, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 21–5–3 , align=left, Kelvin Davis , TKO , 3 , February 23, 2007 , align=left,

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U ...

, U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 20–5–3 , align=left,

, TKO , 2 , January 19, 2007 , align=left,

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchor ...

, Canada , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 19–5–3 , align=left,

, TKO , 4 , September 28, 2006 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , , -align=center , Loss , 18–5–3 , align=left,

, UD , 6 , June 30, 2006 , align=left, Hollywood, Florida, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 18–4–3 , align=left, Felix Cora, Jr. , UD , 10 , March 24, 2006 , align=left,

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 18–3–3 , align=left,

, UD , 8 , January 7, 2006 , align=left, New York City, New York, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Loss , 18–2–3 , align=left,

, UD , 10 , August 18, 2005 , align=left,

Kazan Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: ɑzan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering a ...

, Russia , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 18–1–3 , align=left, Rodney Moore , UD , 8 , May 5, 2005 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 17–1–3 , align=left, John Ivan Battle , TKO , 4 , April 1, 2005 , align=left,

Warren, Michigan Warren is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2020 Census places the city's population at 139,387, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, the third largest city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit's largest suburb. T ...

, U.S. , , -align=center , style="background:#abcdef;", Draw , 16–1–3 , align=left, George Khalid Jones , PTS , 10 , August 3, 2004 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , , -align=center , style="background:#abcdef;", Draw , 16–1–2 , align=left, James Lubwama , PTS , 12 , May 20, 2004 , align=left,

Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie ( ') is the only city in, and county seat of, Chippewa County, Michigan, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 13,337 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the second-most populated ...

, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 16–1–1 , align=left, Forrest Neal , KO , 3 , March 27, 2004 , align=left, Washington, D.C., U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 15–1–1 , align=left, Anton Robinson , TKO , 3 , December 9, 2003 , align=left,

Pikesville, Maryland Pikesville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Pikesville is just northwest of the Baltimore city limits. It is the northwestern suburb closest to Baltimore. The population was 30,764 at the 2010 cens ...

, U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 14–1–1 , align=left, Darren Whitley , UD , 8 , September 26, 2003 , align=left,

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 13–1–1 , align=left, Rodney Moore , TKO , 3 , June 27, 2003 , align=left,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 12–1–1 , align=left, Charles Rasheed Lee , KO , 1 , May 8, 2003 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 11–1–1 , align=left, Darren Whitley , UD , 6 , April 8, 2003 , align=left, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 10–1–1 , align=left, Dana Rucker , TKO , 8 , November 14, 2002 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 9–1–1 , align=left, Eric Starr , KO , 1 , September 26, 2002 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 8–1–1 , align=left, Dennis McKinney , TKO , 3 , June 20, 2002 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 7–1–1 , align=left, Iman Green , TKO , 4 , May 9, 2002 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 6–1–1 , align=left, Eric Starr , TKO , 6 , March 21, 2002 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 5–1–1 , align=left, Sam Reese , KO , 3 , February 28, 2002 , align=left,

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 4–1–1 , align=left, Will Little , KO , 2 , January 17, 2002 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 3–1–1 , align=left, William Bailey , KO , 2 , November 15, 2001 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , , -align=center , Win , 2–1–1 , align=left, Lonnie Kornegay , TKO , 2 , September 27, 2001 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , , -align=center , Loss , 1–1–1 , align=left, Damien Rice , UD , 4 , June 16, 2001 , align=left,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, New York, U.S. , , -align=center , style="background:#abcdef;", Draw , 1–0–1 , align=left, Willis Lockett , PTS , 4 , May 10, 2001 , align=left, Glen Burnie, Maryland, U.S. , align=left, , -align=center , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Rodney Dews , KO , 1 , November 16, 2000 , align=left,

Glen Burnie, Maryland Glen Burnie is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. The population of Glen Burnie was 67,639 at the 2010 census. History In 1812, Elias Glenn, a di ...

, U.S. ,

Life outside the ring

Darnell Wilson owns and operates a digital infrastructure firm as a technology systems engineer.

References

External links

*
Davis-fightNwodo-fight
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Darnell 1974 births Living people Boxers from Cleveland Cruiserweight boxers Systems engineers The Contender (TV series) participants American male boxers